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Training Course Summary:

** Price is based on groups of up to 10 delegates with the trainig being held on the customers premises. We can accommodate more, but recommend 10 as a limit. This course can also be run at nationwide venues, where the cost of the venue is added to the total price**

What is Repetitive Strain Injury (or RSI)?

Repetitive strain injury, repetitive stress injury, or RSI is a term that most people have heard of. RSI is really a blanket name that is used to describe many different types of soft tissue injury including carpel tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. It is usually caused by a mixture of bad ergonomics, poor posture, stress, and repetitive motion.

Repetitive strain injuries have been documented for over 300 years, but their prevalence has exploded since the introduction of personal computers into the workplace in the 1970's. They are almost always occupational in origin. More workers in the United States are now injured by their computer than by any other tool - Upper limb disorders now account for 50% of industrial injury claims!

A recent European survey found that 30% of workers suffered from backache and 17% suffered from muscular pains in their arms and legs. This figure of 17% represents about 25 million workers! The British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has found that over half a million workers in the UK suffer from some sort of neck or upper limb disorder. Furthermore, these statistics are considered to be significant underestimates. Many workers are fearful of reporting problems like these in case it affects their employment prospects.

In the UK, 5.4 million working days were lost in sick leave due to RSI in 2002(1)


6 people in the UK leave their job every day due to an RSI condition1


Dealing with the impact of RSI conditions accounts for between 0.5% and 2% of gross national income(2)


The annual cost to UK industry is estimated to be between £5 billion and £20 billion(3)


US research indicates that every dollar invested in an ergonomics intervention strategy such as RSI(2) prevention produces a return of nearly $18.


Organisations employing strategies to improve workplace ergonomics reduced lost sick days due to RSI by two thirds(4)

Notes:
(1)British Trades Union Congress (TUC) press release 21st February 2002

(2)Work-related Neck and Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorders: Peter Buckle and Jason Devereux, November 1999.

(3)Repetitive Strain Injury Association: Facts and Figures.

Who Should Attend:

Do you use a computer for more than a few hours a day? Do you work on a factory production line or play a musical instrument? If the answer is yes then you are certainly at risk from repetitive strain injury. It may not be a life threatening injury, but RSI has the potential to cause crippling disability and pain. Early treatment is the key to success, because recovery can be a very slow process.

Training Course Overview/Content:

This course covers:

What are the Symptoms?

Ergonomics

How Do You Prevent It?
Furniture, computer
The body as a series of right angles.
The Egoscue Method
Position and posture –feet, shoulders, back, and neck
Warmth
Wrists and hands
Keyboard
Mouse
Font size, colour
Don’t pound
Phone
Move, stretch, take a break – how, and how often
Eyes, eyestrain, lighting

What To Do If You Have the Symptoms of RSI

Your Action Plan